A Brush of Frost
by JCOdyssey
Summary: Taking a break from a union party, Jakob finds himself troubled by demons from his past. While others spend the night celebrating, he forces himself to confront some uncomfortable truths.
1. Chapter 1

_"J-Jakob, remind me what we're doin' here again," Benny shivered, snow roaring in his face. The two young men were caught in the middle of a vortex of white, vision limited to only a few snowy meters in front of them. "M-my skin's feeling really b-b-bbad now. I don't think k-knights are supposed to be out-s-sside in this weather." He let out a huge sneeze that echoed through the icy peaks._

 _Jakob had been ignoring his companion for hours, but finally turned around to glare at him. "This mission is by the order of Lord Garon, himself, you buffoon. It is all for the protection of Lady Kamui. The Ice Tribe has been an ally of ours for many years, and Chief Kilma has said that his two daughters are willing to serve her. One is a skilled maid set to be the next leader of the village, and the other is, well...Lord Xander was very vague when describing her, but I assume she is just as talented." Benny gave a slow nod in agreement, but winced as his skin peel beneath the armor. Jakob sighed and pulled out a Flame Shuriken from his coat. "You see this, lumbering fool? I had a merchant seek this in Hoshido specifically for this mission. For something like this, you need to be prepared, or you die."_

 _"S-sir, with all due respect," Benny pleaded, "I don't think that a b-b-bumpkin like me could afford somethin' fancy l-like that." He reached out to touch the glowing item. "Yow! Thing's burning hot, too! How on earth d'ya handle it?"_

 _"It's called experience. And if you're so worried about money, then why not just fashion some coats from all those animals that seem to be pulled to you? I've heard rabbit hats are quite popular now, and the cold wouldn't be a problem with a bear coat. Honestly." He turned and continued to push onward. Benny shrunk down and trudged after him, embarrassed and frightened for his friends._

* * *

The Nohrian Winter Ball was a rousing success. King Leo and King Ryoma, having finally settled the conflict between their two kingdoms, oversaw the event, watching from the throne as soldiers and common folk danced to their heart's content. The best Cyrkensian singers sang beautiful melodies, accompanied by the soothing sound of Subaki and his Hoshidan band. The two musical styles, once separated by years of war, now came together in harmony, a sign of the cultural mixing yet to come.

Jakob was busy doing what he did best: Serving. He darted around the ballroom at lightning speed, making sure that every guest had a taste of Midori's delicious hors d'oeuvres. There was to be no drink left empty, nobody without a napkin to clean themselves, nothing that would make this party anything less than perfect. The other butlers and maids watched him, astounded at their boss's adeptness. Inspired, they began to work even harder, refusing to fall behind. Seeing this, Jakob smiled. Perhaps some of these fine men and women would grow into top-class servants.

As he refilled the glass of a Nohrian duke flirting with a Hoshidan dancer, Jakob felt a tapping on his shoulder. Determined to fufil his duty without distractions, he made sure the wine level was in the ideal spot and spun to give the mystery assailant a sharp gaze. It was Felicia, who stood there with husband and child by her side, a lovely pink flower between the lumbering giants. She jumped back at the sight of his eyes. "Sheesh, Jakob, don't scare me like that! This is a PARTY. We're supposed to be having FUN."

He shrugged. "Felicia, as Lady Kamui's head butler, it's my job to make sure that everything goes smoothly. I can't have you distracting me."

"Well, if you want to be presentable to anyone, then lose the frown. People are gonna get scared if you keep scowling at them. That's what I keep telling my two men here." She stepped over to whisper something to Jakob. Her face showed a sudden glimpse of desperation. "Please do something to get them going. We're a family of nervous wrecks and nothing I say will help.

Jakob gave his head a shake. "Only for you, my friend." He turned to face the two knights, who stood among the dancers twiddling their thumbs. "Sir Benny, Sir Ignatius, how are you two on this fine night?"

Both men nervously looked over. But Benny, relieved to be acknowledged by his old partner, spoke. "Oh-ho, it's b-been alright, Sir Jakob. Life's good and all, with the end of the war and the family, but this…" He tensed up, giving a wide scan of the ballroom, "isn't really m-my cup of tea. Not used to being around crowds, and they're not used to being around me. Ignatius is the same, but he's too scared to even speak. Growing up in the Deeprealms didn't make him all that sociable."

The young knight looked meek without his armor, shaking in his stiff black suit. He tried to sputter out some words, "Hel-ja-tha-o," but "sir" was the only one Jakob could make out. He looked over at Felicia, who mouthed "please" back to him.

"Alright, gentlemen, so the party life isn't something that suits you. Luckily, I think we've got something that will." He gestured to a dark set of stairs near the back of the room. "Downstairs are some elk that we plan to let into the snow once midnight strikes. Of course, we've made sure they're comfortable, but they've been waiting for a while and could use some perking up. The stable keepers might need some people with your talents."

The two men's faces lit up. Both of them hurriedly thanked Jakob and ran off down the stairs to play with the animals. Felicia walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much for that, Jakob. They...they really need to get out more, but I think this was too much for them."

"It's really nothing. If the elk are happy, then it'll be a better show. Just making things more enjoyable for the guests."

"Oh, shut up. I know you've still got a heart under there, even if you only talk work," She sighed and glanced around. "Well, I don't know if there's anyone else here for me...Guess I'll just check in on them. But I will find you later, and I'll make sure you're forced out onto the dance floor." She gave him a little gave and ran off. He returned it and got back to the drinks.

* * *

 _Finally, they had reached the village. Benny was shivering so hard, the guards had to carry him to the chief's hut, but a wave of heat greeted them when the door opened. Waiting for the men was a young maid, not even as old as Jakob, with a smile on her face but worry in her eyes. Her light pink hair spilled down over her shoulders, and Jakob made a note of her ineptitude at basic presentation._

 _"Hello, Sirs!" Her voice pierced Jakob's ears even more than Benny's shouts of pain, but he held his ground. This inexperienced little girl would not be the one to take him down._

 _"Hello, young lady. Who might you be?" Benny had managed to stand up, slumped at an angle but still putting on a smile._

 _The girl opened her mouth to speak, but Jakob stopped her. "We're here looking for Kilma Ghiaccio's daughters, not to chitchat. I'd appreciate it if you led us to him."_

 _She looked down, ashamed. "But...S-sir, I'm one of those daughters. My name's Felicia, the one who wants to serve the princess."_

 _"Did I not ask you to take me to Kilma?" Jakob walked over, giving Felica a severe look right in her face. "Young lady, if you truly wish to be a servant of Lady Kamui, then get your act together. Put that hair in a ponytail, we can't have it going everywhere like that. Show off confidence instead of sniveling like a child. And most importantly, listen to what your superiors tell you. Now take. Me. To. Kilma."_

 _Felicia jumped back, tears forming in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and stood up to face him with a pale face. "Yes, sir! I'm so sorry, I'll escort you there right away!" She scuttled down the hall, mortified. Jakob and Benny followed._

 _"Ey Jakob, I know it's not really my place to speak, but I think you were a little harsh with her. I mean, she's jus-"_

 _"Shut up, Benny."_

 _The trio continued to the chief's room in silence._

* * *

The party was beginning to slow down, and Jakob was content standing by the buffet making sure no one overstuffed themselves. But he saw a hole in the dancers moving towards him, a wave that commanded the crowd to be parted. Lady Kamui emerged from it, and ran over to him.

"Jakob!" She cried, jumping into the air and engulfing him in a giant hug. For a second, they stood happily, but Jakob lost his balance and the two tumbled to the floor. He chuckled. He expected this of the Lady, but she still surprised him every time.

"Oh man, Jakob, I really am. It's great that everyone's together like this after all that fighting...well, almost everyone, but you know what I mean." He saw her face drop for a moment before brightening again. So she was missing her big brother and little sister after all."And how are you, Lady Kamui? Enjoying the party?

Three shadows fell over them, one scooping up Kamui and crushing her in another hug. "~Ohhh, there you are, my cute baby sister. Come to Camilla, my girl."

The princesses of the two kingdoms stood over Jakob now, and he quickly jumped up to give them a bow. "Lady Camilla, Lady Hinoka, Lady Sakura, how do you fare?"

Sakura laughed. "We're doing just fine, Jakob, and you don't need to be so serious around us. We fought together all those months ago. Shouldn't we be friends by now?"

"I'm sorry, milady, it's simply the nature of the job. I live to serve the royal family, and that means respect is of the utmost importance."

"Please, it's a ball. Everyone he is trying to out-respect one another, you don't need to flatter us like this." Hinoka had prettied herself up for the night, even pulled out one of Lady Mikoto's old dresses, but she was still as serious as always. Strangely, seeing her hard eyes and straight face relieved Jakob a bit. So there were still some sane people here.

"Hinoka, my dear, please put a smile on~" Camilla whispered. "You're embarrassing all of us. Do you want to be underdressed next to our sweet Kamui?"

The Hoshidan princess grinned a little. "You've got me there."

Sakura piped up, "Ummm….It looks like the dance is picking up again. S-should we go back out?"

Camilla smiled. "Of course. After all, we've got four fine bachelorettes here and a party full of people to play with." The three girls disappeared back into the crowd, and Kamui gestured for Jakob to follow.

"I'm sorry, Milady, but I simply can't. I have a job to do here."

"Please, Jakob? I just need a good friend to have around. Sisters get annoying after a while."

"As a butler, it's my job to serve, not to dance."

"Fine, if you're gonna be like that, I'll give you something else to do." She thought for a second, then lit up with an idea. "Ah! In my old room upstairs, there should be a song that-th-that the five of us used to perform in the winter. Can you get it for me?" She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"You know I can't refuse a direct order from you, Milady. I will find this song as fast as I can, and you will sing it beautifully." He began to make his way to the stairs when she called out to him.

"Yeah, well you better hope I do, cause I'm gonna make you dance to it!"

 **"** Oh, please, I hope not. **"**

* * *

The castle was a maze of corridors and rooms, but Jakob still knew his way around the place. On the way to Lady Kamui's room, he passed through the servant's quarters, thinking about his old days serving here. There was Gunter's room, Felicia's, even his old dark one, all abandoned now and mostly cleaned out. But as he was about to go up the stairs, a bright blue shape flashed in the corner of his eye. He turned and saw it. On the last door, emblazoned on a nameplate, was a familiar name.

 **Flora Ghiaccio**


	2. Chapter 2

_Felicia scuttled into the main room and stood at the seat of the table, still shivering in fright. Jakob and Benny filed in afterwards, finding themselves in a cold war room decorated with the treasures of the Ice Tribe. As the two men finally sat down, Jakob noticed that there was another girl standing near the fire. She was dressed in the same maid outfit as Felicia, and looked almost identical to the nervous girl-except for the icy hair. She promptly walked over and gave Jakob a warm smile._

 _"Hello, Sir Jakob, Sir Benny. We've been expecting you. Tea?"_

 _Jakob nodded and the girl poured him a cup. He took it graciously. "And I assume you would be Chief Klima's other daughter?"_

 _She nodded before bowing to him. "Yes, that would be I. My name is Flora. I am pleased to have the honor to serve the crown."_

* * *

Jakob wandered into his old friend's room and looked around. Everything in these halls was covered with a thick layer of dust, but this one carried a colder weight to it. His eyes scanned the dark stone walls and rotting wooden furniture until they came upon an open drawer. There was something shining from within it.

* * *

 _Jakob watched from above as Flora and Lady Kamui sparred in the courtyard. The girl had shown that she was much more adept at both fighting and serving than her younger sister. While Felicia was clumsy and could hardly throw a knife right, Flora moved through the air with a sense of grace, dancing through her opponent's moves. Her skill with daggers and ice magic made her formidable even against Lord Leo, which was something that Jakob appreciated. The young mage was often quite pompous about his magical skills, so it was nice to have someone to whip him into shape._

 _As Lady Kamui made a misstep, Flora seized the chance to make her move. Swerving around the princess, she cooled the butt of her knife and thrust it into Kamui's side. The Lady stumbled for a second and then fell to the ground, exhausted. Flora quickly assumed her maid position, reaching down to gently help Kamui up. As Jakob strolled down from the balcony to meet with them, the two girls laughed about the fight._

 _"Flora, you're so good at this. I don't know if I'm ever gonna be able to beat you."_

 _"Oh no, my Lady, I think you're simply having an off day. If we keep training together, I'm sure you'll get better."_

 _Jakob collected the weapons from the ground and bowed to both girls. "Lady Kamui, Flora, that was an excellent sparring session. You've both earned some well-deserved rest."_

 _Flora shook her head. "I've no time for that, Jakob. I promised Felica that I'd help her with making the beds. But the Lady should rest all she wants." She walked off towards the dormitory, and Jakob could hear Lady Kamui mutter something._

 _"Well, My Lady, our Flora certainly is something."_

 _"I guess," Kamui kicked some sand away. "It's just...There's something about Felicia that's better. I know Flora's a better maid, and a better fighter, and a better, well, everything, but Felicia's more of a friend. She tries so hard to help me, and she always makes time to talk to me. I really like that, y'know? Flora's always so distant."_

 _Jakob couldn't help but agree. Kamui got along much better with Felicia despite all of her shortcomings. Flora hadn't quite warmed up to life in the castle yet. "Well, my Lady, I'm sure it will come with time."_

* * *

The shine was coming from Flora's old knife, which still glistened with an icy shine. Through the rough patches Jakob could make out the symbol of the Ice Tribe, carved into the hilt. "So this...these are the things that she left behind. Poor thing never made its way home." Ruffling through the drawer, he hoped to find something else, but it was mostly balled-up tissues that greeted him.

* * *

 _Jakob had retired for the night, leaving the twins to manage the other servants at the party below. With Lady Kamui away at the capital, there was no place for a simple butler like him among the rich and powerful. But he had sat there for hours now, thinking. It had been over a year since the sisters had come to work at the castle, but while Felicia had improved quite a bit, Flora was the same as always. The conversation with Lady Kamui was playing again and again in his head. Why was the girl so distant? Why had the princess, who was normally so outgoing with everyone, strayed away from one of her servants?_

 _He heard some light steps outside, followed by the rapid flutter of Felicia's feet. They stopped across the hall from him, at Flora's room. Through the door, he could hear muffled voices._

 _"Flora, I don't know why you were so cold to those guests. You were always the one who told me that we had to be cheery when we were serving."_

 _There was some grumbling as Flora struggled with the door. "What do you mean, sister? I was plenty cheery the whole time. Didn't you see my smile?"_

 _"Of course I did. I saw how forced it was and so did everyone else. Plus you had daggers in your eyes the whole time. What was up with that?"_

 _The door swung open, crashing against the wall. "Flora! You're gonna wake everybody up!"_

 _"Please, it's two in the morning, everyone's gonna be in deep sleep," She sighed, and Jakob heard her step into her room. "And as for those people...Maybe I just don't want to be around them, alright? I don't like rich folk like that, always flaunting their wealth around like they can own anything."_

 _"But Flora...We-we work for the king. We serve the princess. Does that mean you hate them too?"_

 _"Felicia, do you think we're here because we want to be? Because we aren't, alright? Dad needed to give something to appease Garon, so he offered up his daughters. We're just like slaves to the old coot."_

 _"But Flora...Lady Kamui's the best. She's so nice, and she doesn't mind when I screw up, and she-she's my friend. My only one besides you."_

 _"Well, that's good for you, that's great for you, but I think she's a spoiled kid who needs to see the real world."_

 _Felicia gasped. "Flora, do you really mean that? Do you hate her?"_

 _"Leave, Felicia. It's late."_

 _"But, Flora-"_

 _"I said LEAVE! GO TO SLEEP!" She slammed the door and the hallway vibrated. Felicia's sobs echoed throughout it as she ran down to her room._

 _From Flora's room, Jakob could make out a soft noise. He moved closer to his door to listen better, and heard the tears of the maid across the hall._

 _"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, Felicia. I just don't want you to end up here forever...I-I-I want you to be happy…"_

* * *

So these were from those nights. Jakob clenched the drawer's knob and gently closed it. He had heard plenty of cries from across the hall. Flora always had more...intuition than her sister, and she was never happy about it. A sense of regret still loomed in this room years later. He wanted to leave, had to leave and get back to the party, but there was something keeping him. Something that was here, begging to be seen. He scoured the whole place, every closet and drawer, but there was nothing to be found. Taking a break on the bed, Jakob wracked his brain to think of what could be here. What other memories of the girl did he have? What did they make together…

* * *

 _It had been a few days since Flora's breakdown. She still put on a smile for the guests and performed her duty as Lady Kamui's maid stupendously, but things weren't quite right. Every night, Jakob could still hear soft cries from Felicia's room and taps on the floor from Flora's. Each one, small as it was, echoed in his head, a constant stream of pecking noises for hours on end._

 _The girl needed someone to talk to._

 _Jakob had waited until everyone else had gone to sleep, then slipped out of his room. The tapping continued. He stood at the door for a minute, building himself up to give a small knock. When he finally did, the tapping went on for a few seconds, then stopped._

 _"Come in," Her voice was low and melancholy._

 _Jakob slowly opened the door and saw her sitting at the base of the bed, still dressed in her work outfit. Her heels had resumed clicking against the ground. "Oh, Jakob." Her face was just as vacant as her voice, but it still carried a little charm. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"_

 _"Well, yes, Flora. I was hoping that we could talk about you."_

 _He sat down next to her. She fidgeted nervously and held her arms together, as if there was a chill. "Is that so? Did something happen? Am I in trouble?" She looked down at the ground with a face sagging with depression._

 _"Nothing of the sort, my friend. It's just that lately I've noticed some things around here lately, and as the head servant, I need to make sure that everyone is fit to-"_

 _"You heard me and Felicia's argument the other night, didn't you?"_

 _Silence._

 _"It's alright. I was guessing that you might have. Being the head servant and all means you probably sleep as little as me. So maybe...there's a chance you were up when I fought with her. Am I wrong?"_

 _"No, but-"_

 _"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. Siblings fight sometimes, it's just what happens. Pretty soon it'll blow over, an-"_

 _"Flora, you're dodging the issue. You don't think I heard what you said? I can see it on your face that it wasn't just a sibling's quarrel."_

 _"Listen, Jakob, I think you're overthinking-"_

 _"No, Flora. YOU listen. It's been days and Felicia is still crying in her room. The two of you are hardly speaking to one another even when you're working. That insufferable tapping is keeping me from sleeping. And all the things that you said...What on earth were you talking about?"_

 _Her face grew dark. They sat in silence for a moment before she answered. "Felicia's...still crying?" A lone tear plopped onto the stone. "I'm so sorry, sister… I didn't want things to be like this, but now I've…"_

 _She stood up, tears coming out in waterfalls now. Jakob wasn't sure what to do but watch her cry. Then, her fist suddenly slammed down onto the table. "STUPID, STUPID FLORA! FELICIA WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY HAPPY, AND NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"_

 _She continued to punch at it until thick splinters dug deep into her fingers. Storming off towards the closet, she started using her legs instead, kicking at the door. Jakob let her go on her rampage, even as things started to break and ice chunks were hurled across the room._

 _"WHY DIDN'T YOU LEAVE HER BACK AT THE VILLAGE?"_

 _"WHY WOULD YOU EVER TALK TO HER LIKE THAT?"_

 _"GOD DAMN IT, FLORA, YOU'VE ALREADY RUINED YOURSELF, DON'T BRING HER DOWN TOO!"_

 _"KEEPING FELICIA HAPPY WAS THE ONE THING YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND LOOK HOW WELL YOU FUCKED IT UP!"_

 _Exhausted, she lay down on the ground and curled up in a ball. She couldn't cry anymore, just hiccup and sputter out more "sorrys" while Jakob watched over her._

 _"Now, are you quite finished with this? We still have to wake up tomorrow. We still need to do our duty."_

 _A burning resentment in her eyes shot back at him, but soon it faded and her eyes glazed over once again. "I guess we do, don't we? Need to keep working hard to serve the crown."_

 _"That's why all of us were brought here, Flora. It's not something we can ignore, and we have to be at our best for it."_

 _She stood up and walked over to peer out the small window. "Oh, it's hardly me you have to worry about. I'd never let something like this really interfere with my job. It's just...Felicia, she's the one who's a lot more hurt by it. And that'll show, hell, it probably already does."_

 _Jakob, unable to think of anything else to say, simply let her continue._

 _"She's always needed a lot more support than me, a lot more to keep her going. So a while ago, I decided that I didn't need to be happy. I just needed to prop her up, keep my little sister going and train to be the next chief of the village. But it looks like I'm still not very good at that."_

 _"So what now, Jakob? You're the senior butler, you must have some advice. What can I do to just make her happy?"_

 _Jakob was stunned. He knew his way around housework perfectly, but helping someone like this wasn't in his repertoire. "Well, I don't know if I'm exactly qualified to sa-"_

 _"You're the only one who's seen me at my worst, Jakob. People can ask about the noises all they want, and I can lie, say that it was an assassin or something, but you were there. You saw me do...that, and that means you're the most qualified person I know."_

 _He sighed. If she really only wanted help from him, then there was at least one thing he could say. "Well, the best thing I can tell you is to...forget yourself."_

 _She looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"_

 _"You're still focusing too much on yourself, even if it's not to be happy. I'm asking you to push away any interpersonal feelings. You want to help Felicia? Focus on her. You want to do your job? Put your soul into it. If you're having self-doubts, find something else to invest your time in. Forget yourself."_

 _She looked back to the window in silence, deep in thought._

 _"I know it's hardly the best advice someone can give, and it's not easy to do, but it's worked for me. For the longest time, I've been dedicated to my work as a butler and done everything to make sure Lady Kamui is happy. I want you to be the best that you can for the Lady, and this is really-"_

 _"I think I can do it, Jakob." She turned and he saw a smile forming on her face. "In fact, I think that I'd really like to forget myself."_

* * *

Hadn't it been some sort of picture? Had she taken to drawing once he had talked to her? In the corner of his mind, he saw pencil scratches on a canvas, something that she wanted to hang for people to see. But if it was that big, where could she have put it? It wasn't hanging on the walls or in the closet, so maybe...under the bed? It clearly wasn't below the frame, but the heavy mattress would have made a good hiding spot. He heaved the thing up and saw it looking back at him: Their portrait.

* * *

 _Over the next few years, Jakob saw that Flora became much more accustomed to life in the castle. "Forgetting" herself seemed to actually make the girl much brighter. She did her job almost as well as he did, helped her struggling sister improve, and even became friends with the Lady and Sir Gunter. To anyone who didn't know what she was like in the beginning, it would almost seem that she was happy._

 _Could she really be happy now that she hardly ever thought of herself? With Lady Kamui away and no other nobles around, the servants were free to simply hang around the castle grounds. Jakob was spending his time wandering, these thoughts of his friend weighing on his mind. On that night she said trying to find her happiness was a fruitless effort, yet now, this. It was a paradox, but one that he kept desperately trying to solve._

 _"Hmmmm, she smiles without being happy, or she's happy without thinking about it, or perhaps it's simply an act again, but her friendships with everyone feel genuine…" As he muttered to himself. Jakob didn't even that Flora was running up to him. He heard a shout, but it was too late. She crashed into him and fell backwards._

 _"Ahhhh… There you are, Jakob. Is your hearing alright? You didn't notice me coming or anything."_

 _"I'm fine, Flora. You're the one we should be concerned about. I was so lost in thought that I didn't even see you coming." He reached down to help her up. "Any bruises? Did your outfit get ripped at all? Dirt?"_

 _She laughed. "Jakob, It's all good. I just took a little spill. Forget about that, though. C'mon, I've got something to show you."_

 _Before he could object, Flora grabbed his arm and ran off towards the center of the courtyard, where an old man with dozens of art supplies was waiting. When he saw the two running towards him, he nodded and gestured to the stools sitting in front of the fountain._

 _"Jakob, this is Albrecht Augustus, one of the most famed artists in Nohr. I was always a big fan of his earlier works back home, so I sought him out to see if he would to a sketching."_

 _Albrecht came over and started whispering something to her. Jakob remained confused as ever. Was he going to draw them? Why did Flora want to bring him here? But the artist seemed very insistent that they get in position so they could start, so he took a seat while Flora finished up her discussion._

 _"Oh, good, you're already getting prepped. Just a fair warning, we could be here for a while, so steel yourself. Maybe make it a nice little meditation exercise."_

 _"Flora...Why exactly are you doing this?"_

 _"Because I knew we'd need something to do on our day off. I scheduled this meeting a few months ago."_

 _"Flora, you know what I mean."_

 _"Well," she gave him a warm smile, "I thought that this might be nice, to have a picture of the two of us. Like a little gift to share."_

 _"Whatever happened to forgetting yourself?"_

 _Flora scoffed. "Jakob, it's not about that. We can't forget ourselves entirely. But I didn't ask Albrecht to do this for me."_

 _"You're saying this is supposed to be for me?"_

 _"Yes. I know that we're both trying to forget ourselves, but I don't want us to forget each other. So can we just do this, together? For the memory?"_

 _Albrecht yelled at them in an old language Jakob didn't know. He wanted to say something else to Flora, but she shushed him. "He wants us to sit still. Stare ahead, simile, and try not to move that much. Try not to even think that much. Forget everything, really."_

 _"It's a nice day outside. Take it all in, and see what it does for you."_

* * *

Jakob was piecing the event back together. He hadn't been able to do what she asked. While Flora sat there with a petite smile on her face, his was wrought with thought. Side-by-side with her, it really showed. His looked serious as always, but the eyes swirled with confusion, annoyance, and even a little bit of sadness. The whole time, he couldn't get what she had said out of his mind, and for some reason it had angered him.

"I even refused the sketch when it was done. Didn't want to face how I was feeling, I suppose. How selfish of me."

* * *

 _When he turned down the drawing, Flora tired hard to hide her disappointment, but some of it still came through. "Oh, alright, if you don't want it, that's fine… I'll hang it up in my room, though, so if you ever want to look at it, just come in._

 _In the day, she remained as bright as ever, but Jakob could tell something was wrong during the night. There wasn't any tapping or crying, but whispers would keep him up sometimes. He couldn't make them out clearly, but it sounded like a sort of mantra. He never bothered to check in on her._

* * *

"Oh, Flora," Jakob slumped his head against the window, "I made some poor decisions, didn't I? And you...you were the one who was hurting because of them."

* * *

 _"So you're going after the Lady, Jakob?"_

 _"There's word that Hoshido has her in custody. Lord Xander and Lord Leo are hoping to sort out a compromise diplomatically, but if things don't go well, there could be a war. If needed, I have to infiltrate and take Lady Kamui back."_

 _"But Jakob, it was you who said that she fell into the Bottomless Canyon! There's no way that she could be alive after that."_

 _"I would think so too, but if these rumors are true, I can't just ignore them. As Lady Kamui's dedicated servant, I need to see this for myself. If there's even the smallest chance that she's alive, I have to go."_

 _"So you'll just abandon everything here? With Gunter gone, you're the most experienced person we have on hand."_

 _"It's by the order of Lord Xander himself. I'm sure you'll be able to manage things here. Since we've met, both of you Ghiaccio girls have grown into fine young women and excellent servants."_

 _"Jakob-"_

 _"I'm sorry, Flora, but I need to get going now." He grabbed one last dagger and quickly ran out, giving her a quick goodbye wave._

 _When she finally stopped hearing his footsteps, Flora returned to her room and lay down on the bed. Her face felt hot, but she refused to cry. Not after all this time. Not over this. Instead, she tried talking to herself._

 _"That's how it is, Flora. Looks like you were always gonna be someone younger in his eyes. A friendly little sister and nothing more." Her eyes shifted to the sketch hanging beside the window._

 _"But Jakob… Why did do you choose her over me? Is it just your duty that's driving you? Or is our fine Lady your own little crush?" Try as she might, Flora couldn't get the thought of him out of her head, especially with their faces staring over her. Still holding back tears, she walked over to take it down, and noticed something in the window._

 _It was Jakob, running off to save the Princess. She didn't even know if he'd be back, or if they'd ever communicate again. When it came to Lady Kamui, he had to drop everything._

 _She looked at the sketch again, and the tears finally came out._

 _"Jakob, I can't do this anymore. I can't forget myself. I can be the best maid I want and I can help Felicia, but now...I have to think about myself, and you, too. If we ever talk again, you'll probably think that I'm selfish, but I don't care. It's the only reason I'm still here…"_

* * *

"Flora, you were the one who was always so happy about this drawing…" Why would she have hidden it? Hardly anyone ever came into her room, and they would have seen it already. Was it because it reminded her of their relationship? Had his going away spurred something?

Jakob thought about it long and hard. Even after she had become more accustomed to life in the castle, he had never quite been able to read her. Still kept many things to herself, things that he couldn't find out anymore.

No, there was one time. The last time that the two of them had met…

In the hellish final battles of the war, Jakob had suppressed many of the things that he had seen. It was something that came naturally to him, after years of experience. But he still had traces of that night...

The fight against the Ice Tribe.


	3. Chapter 3

_Through the howling wind of the mountains, Jakob could hardly hear anything around him. Surges of magic were the only thing that shone through the blizzard, and he had to slowly feel his way around the snowy battlefield. The Ice Tribe, apparently acting on their own now, showed no mercy to the Hoshidan Army. Lady Kamui and Felicia had hoped to find Chief Kilma so that a peaceful resolution could be worked out, but Jakob, separated from them, had no idea if the conflict would end soon._

 _Regardless, he pushed onwards to get to the Chief's hut. Though the storm covered everything in a thick layer of white, Jakob could still make out landmarks. Slowly, he stumbled towards a dim light in the distance. There didn't seem to be anyone guarding the main gate. If he could just get inside, they could finish this-_

 _A sudden pain shot through his abdomen. It was sharp, and quickly replaced by an agonizing burning feeling. He looked down to see a knife on the ground and a deep gash in his side. Frostbite was rapidly eating away at the skin, much more so than it naturally should. Jakob tore off his vest in an instant and wrapped it around the wound. The bleeding was somewhat halted and the pain was beginning to numb a bit, but he still needed to find Sakura fast._

 _Jakob stood up in an attempt to find cover, but another knife flew past his head. Forced back down onto the snow, he crawled forward until finding a blockade of ice to lean on. Bracing himself against the frozen spires, he scanned the area to find his attacker. "Alright, come on out now, would you? I'm hardly in a position to be biting right now."_

 _A blue glow made its way through the storm. As it got closer, Jakob could finally make out who it was. Flora, shining with her magic, stared back at him with a blank expression._

 _"So it was you, Flora. I see that you're just as talented as ever."_

 _"I'm sorry, Jakob...But I have to do this. I don't need to fight you, and I don't need to. Just tell me where Kamui and Felicia are and I'll let you be."_

 _"So you're just going to betray us? Your master, your own sister?" She was making him angry. "Flora, don't you remember what I told you about forgetting yourself?"_

 _She shot another knife at him, magic swelling up in rage. "You were all the ones who betrayed us first! Because of you, and Felicia, and especially Lady Kamui, I have to fight to protect my village. I don't care about what happens to me! I just need to keep my people safe! But I suppose that someone who only had loyalty to a Princess wouldn't understand that."_

 _"We can work this all out peacefully, Flora! Hoshido and the Ice Tribe can join forces against King Garon. Just take me to Kilma and we can be allies!"_

 _"Fath-Kilma is dead. After Felicia left, that was the last straw. Garon himself came and gave him the axe. I am the leader of the Ice Tribe now, and I need to protect this village."_

 _So that was it. Her situation was certainly a difficult one to be in, but… "Flora, I'm fighting for Lady Kamui. And I'm afraid that means I'll have to use force to get through to you. So do it! Try and see if you can beat your superior."_

 _Furious, she began barraging him with a flurry of knives. Each one was surrounded by a thick layer of ice, and they hammered against his protection. Jakob tried to keep his own throws more calculated, but even with the glow of her magic, it was hard to aim in the storm._

 _"I never asked for this, Jakob! All I wanted from the very beginning was to stay here and lead my people once my father retired. But then he had to go and start fighting with the King, so Felicia and I got offered up! She might have thought that we were being offered a great job, but I knew the truth. I hated that damn castle and everyone there. We weren't real servants like everyone else, just hostages traded by our leaders!"_

 _"So you really did just want to leave us all that time? I saw how you grew. You adjusted to life there, you made friends!"_

 _Flora started to break down in tears. Her knives were gone now, and she simply threw sharp chunks of ice. "I know, I did and I hated it. I shouldn't have enjoyed being locked up there so much, but you made me want to stay. Now, though…"_

 _"We can't let personal feelings get in the way of this, Flora."_

 _"That was always easy for you to say, Jakob! You were just content serving Lady Kamui, didn't need to do anything else with your life. I couldn't find anything to make me happy. I wasn't allowed to be happy!" The wind began to pick up, and soon he could hardly hear what she was saying. "I-ad-t-fa-ov-wi-u"_

 _"No more talking, Flora. It's embarrassing enough that I have to fight you on behalf of the Lady, I can't afford to lose!" The pain still ran through him, but he was getting used to it by now. Picking up a silver dagger, he rolled out from behind the ice and charged towards her. She was taken off-guard, and he was able to get up and swing the knife. She struggled, using small blasts of ice to deflect it, but started wearing out as they pushed towards the Chief's Hut. Jakob gave Flora a kick to the shin and she went down, clutching it on the ground._

 _"Jakob, you…"_

 _"I'm sorry Flora, but I need to do this for good measure." He slashed her shoulder just enough that she couldn't take the pain. She shuddered, face growing pale as she began to slip into unconsciousness._

 _Before going to alert Lady Kamui, Jakob pulled out his Flame Shuriken. He opened up his wound and pressed the weapon against it. The heat made the whitening skin sizzle and bubble, but he managed to make it through the excruciating pain and sear it shut. Then, he did the same for Flora, who was unresponsive to the burning heat._

 _"Now, I'm hardly a master of magic, but you need to stay warm." With most of his remaining strength, he enchanted the Shuriken so it blazed with a small fire. He set it down next to her and lurched up. "I'll be needing to see you again, Flora, so make sure you don't die on me."_

 _As he walked away, the warmth of the flames started bringing Flora back. ""We could have been old, Jakob…" The wind drowned out her sleepy whispers. "I just wanted to stay with you...We shouldn't have fought like this… But can we please… See each other… again?"_

* * *

 _As Hoshidan forces mobilized around the Chief's Hut, the battle was won. Healers quickly spread out to tend to the wounded, and healthy Ice Tribe warriors began to dig graves for their fallen comrades. With the Chieftess out of commission, Lady Kamui and Lord Ryoma discussed what to do with her council. In all the chaos, nobody noticed when Flora slipped away and slowly began to crawl towards the gate._

 _Orochi was able to patch Jakob up for the most part, though his frostbite would linger as long as they stayed in this cold. He was ready to lie down after the whole ordeal, but a shrill suddenly rang throughout the village._

 _"Flora!" It was Felicia. Jakob rushed out to see her dashing towards her older sister, who was struggling to stand against a wall._

 _"Get back, Felicia!" Flora looked at her sister with piercing eyes. "I'm fine, just don't come any closer for now."_

 _"No, Flora!" Felicia ran up and took her sister by the hand. "I'm not gonna do that. Let me hold you for now and everything'll be fine."_

 _By now, Lady Kamui had noticed the commotion. "Flora!" She was still panting from the battle. "I'm so glad you're alright!"_

 _"Same to you, Lady Kamui."_

 _"Flora, why did you do this? If Garon was threatening the village, you could have come to us...Hoshido would have protected you!"_

 _"It's not so simple, Princess. He made me decide on the spot, or he would have killed me and wiped the whole village off the map." She pushed away from her sister, managing to stand on her own. "It's fine, Felicia. I think I'm good now."_

 _Kamui wrapped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Flora. This shouldn't have happened. We didn't need to fight the Tribe like this, and now look what's happened…" She gazed around the battlefield, still riddled with bodies._

 _Flora freed herself and took a few steps back. "No, Lady Kamui, this is all my fault. I was the one who betrayed you. I was willing to kill you and Felicia. It's absolutely shameful, and I need to atone for it."_

 _"No, Flora, it's completely understandable," Kamui was begging with her now. "We can make things better for the tribe, I promise."_

 _"Sis, why can't we just be together again?' Felicia whimpered, starting to cry. "I-I-I want to be friends again. I want us to be a FAMILY again! I mean, we've only got e-e-each other now…"_

 _Jakob reached out and lay his hand out on her shoulder. "Flora, it's over. It's time for us to come together again and strategize. We'll need you and the Ice Tribe for that."_

 _Flora smiled at them. "You're all very kind, but...There's only one thing for me to do now." She jumped as far back as she could. "Everyone, GET AWAY!" There was something in her hand that looked familiar to Jakob. It quickly shone a flash of orange. He realized what she was about to do, but before he could respond, she acted._

 _Flora held the Flame Shuriken to her chest and, with all her strength, snapped it in half. Fire erupted from within, quickly engulfing her body with intense heat._

 _"Flora, what are you doing?!" Lady Kamui tried to rush forward, but Jakob held her back. "Don't do this to yourself! Don't do this to US!"_

 _Felicia was already breaking down on the ground. Unable to sputter out even a word, she shot her hand at the burning mass. Icy wind swirled past, but the magic only fueled the flames. The merchant had told Jakob that they were enchanted to survive in the cold. Felicia's hand fell limply to the ground. The girl shoved her face into the snow, sobbing._

 _"So this is what you're going to do, Flora?" Jakob shouted at her over the the roaring flames. "Just throw it all away in an instant? I always thought you were better than this! I-t thought...I thought that we could make it through the tough times together!"_

 _Her skin was blackening now, a sickening shade of deep purple lining her charred arms. As it crept along the rest of her body, the stench of burning flesh grew even stronger. Though Flora's eyes watered, she didn't seem to mind the pain. "Jakob, this is what I've been waiting for. I needed a way to escape everything that I hated, and this is it. When die, maybe I'll finally feel at peace…"_

 _Jakob couldn't respond to her. There was no use in trying to call for help now. She would make sure the flames were kept going to her dying breath._

 _Flora's face began to melt away, revealing the bone underneath. Her legs, now frail and unable to support much of anything, gave out. She fell to the ground in a broken clump. "I'm sorry, everyone. I regret how I failed as a sister, and as a servant, and Ja-o-...I'm sorry th-t I lov-d y-u. I di-'t des-rv- -ny of yo-. Good...bye."_

 _Once she gave her last breath, there was nothing left to do but watch the rest of her burn away. While Felicia continued to cry and Lady Kamui begged for her to be brought back, Jakob simply stood in shock. Eventually, her skin had dissolved into a puddle of thick black goo, still bubbling. It soaked into what remained of her old dress, and bones floated in the pit slowly starting to form. That was it._

 _Flora Ghiaccio was gone._

* * *

Jakob remembered all of it clearly. Felicia's screams, the nauseating smell of oily skin, the last smile on Flora's face before she faded away. The whole thing was too much to take in. Wanting to repress it again, he ran out of the room, heading towards the kitchen. The feast should have been starting by now, so there was hardly anyone around. Perfectly easy to grab a nice bottle of Hennessy.

Jakob opened up a window and stepped out onto the balcony to enjoy his drink. The party was still in full swing below him, but a few sips was enough to muffle the sounds. He started to wonder if the other servants were going to be alright, and if Lady Kamui would be looking for him, but another big gulp washed those worries away. With nothing left to bother him, he was free to ramble as he wished.

"So…ya killed her. Wonderful job, O great servant of the Lady. Without that weapon, she probably couldn'ta done...that." He slumped over the railing, looking up to see that snow was beginning to fall from the sky. "Heh, it's like the world wants to take me back to that night...Yeah, guess I gotta atone just like she did."

He leaned back further, peering into the flakes slowly sinking towards him. A few bg tears seeped down his face, dropping onto the ground below. "I'm very sorry, Flora. For everything, really. For that night, for never seeing you as an equal, for making you repress yourself for years… Guess I finally know how you felt now."

Another chug relaxed him further. Slowly, he began giving himself a few lackadaisical slaps. "Stupid Jakob...Never realising that...that she...Flora…" He pinched his eyes together, starting to feel the headaches come on.

"Flora loved you."

Cheers rose up from the party. Even through his drunken state, Jakob could hear the voices of the princesses. Someone must have found that song for them. Other partygoers had gathered outside to watch the elk be released. With Benny and Ignatius at the head, they dashed around the courtyard, pulling the royal children in sleighs. As always, they shone valiantly with pride, igniting hope for the future of the kingdoms. Everyone there was getting into the spirit of union.

"And that's what this night's all about, isn't it?" Jakob looked down at all of them, no worries in their minds. "Everyone gets to forget their problems, be happy for the night."

He finished off the bottle, and looked out at the landscape being blanketed in the snow. "Well...I guess I'll be the one to bear our...problems...right now." He rose his voice, hoping to get through to the ones below. "To the rest of you all, I wish you...good night!"


End file.
